Ink Spot Nebula

The Ink Spot Nebula is officially catalogued as Barnard 86, often shortened to B86. It was identified by the astronomer Edward Emerson Barnard in the early 20th century. Barnard famously cataloged dark nebulae that appeared as distinct silhouettes against the starry sky.

The nebula is a compact dark nebula made of incredibly dense interstellar dust. This thick dust actively obscures and blocks the optical light from the crowded stellar background of the Milky Way galaxy. The resulting effect is a sharply defined, inky black silhouette against a field of bright stars.

The Ink Spot Nebula is located in the constellation Sagittarius, a region of the sky heavily populated with dense star clouds. Specifically, it sits right beside the bright open star cluster NGC 6520. This proximity to a glowing cluster makes the dark nebula stand out even more.

Because it is a dark patch rather than a glowing object, the Ink Spot Nebula requires a moderately large amateur telescope, usually 6 to 8 inches or greater, to be observed visually. The telescope must be used under very dark skies with minimal light pollution. Astronomers rely on the contrast between the dark dust and the neighboring cluster NGC 6520 to spot it.